The present invention relates to a two way tracking system and method for locating vehicles, objects, animals or humans that are provided with a wireless transceiver.
The present invention is an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,436 to Savoie et al. That patent discloses a vehicle tracking method and system using the cellular network infrastructure. According to Savoie a cellular transceiver is installed in a vehicle which requires tracking, and operates on a continuously stand-by mode, to remain accessible to the cellular security provider. The cellular transceiver is turned on to an active mode when tracking of the vehicle is initiated. The general location of the stolen vehicle can be determined by paging the cellular transceiver located in the stolen vehicle to identify one or more cell sites located near the stolen vehicle. The information is then relayed to a tracking vehicle which makes use of a radio direction finder to obtain an accurate bearing on the location of the stolen vehicle. In another embodiment, the tracking vehicle which is provided with a radio direction finder can determine using a global positioning system receiver its location with respect to one or more cell sites identified as being close to the stolen vehicle such that the tracking vehicle can quickly travel to the area identified by the selected cell sites.
One of the main issues of that patent is conserving the integrity and security of the on-board system. In fact, the on-board system must be hidden from view, so as to prevent a potential thief from disarming the system.
One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a two-way tracking system similar to the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,436, using an existing wireless network to locate a variety of objects, persons or animals.
According to the present invention, there is provided a system for tracking an object, person or animal, the object, person or animal being provided with a tracking wireless transceiver, comprising:
receiver means for receiving an indication that the object, person or animal needs to be tracked;
wireless radio means for wirelessly communicating with the tracking wireless transceiver;
means for estimating coordinates of the object, person or animal based on a location of one or more sites communicating with the tracking wireless transceiver; and
at least one wireless device provided with the object, person or animal, for wirelessly communicating with the tracking wireless transceiver.
According to another aspect the present invention, there is provided a system for tracking an object, person or animal, the object, person or animal being provided with a tracking wireless transceiver, comprising:
receiver means for receiving an indication that the object, person or animal needs to be tracked;
wireless radio means for wirelessly communicating with the tracking wireless transceiver; and
means for estimating coordinates of the object, person or animal based on a location of one or more sites communicating with the tracking wireless transceiver, the improvement wherein:
the wireless transceiver is further wirelessly in communication with at least one wireless device on the object, person or animal; and
the wireless transceiver can be used to communicate with the at least one wireless device on the object, person or animal.
According to yet another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for tracking an object, person or animal, the object, person or animal being provided with a tracking wireless transceiver, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing a wireless communication with the wireless transceiver;
estimating coordinates of the object, person or animal based on a location of one or more sites communicating with the wireless transceiver;
receiving an indication that the object, person or animal needs to be tracked at the wireless transceiver; and
sending a wireless signal from the wireless transceiver to at least one wireless device on the object, person or animal.
According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for tracking an object, person or animal, the object, person or animal being provided with a tracking wireless transceiver, the method comprising the steps of:
establishing a wireless communication with the wireless transceiver;
estimating coordinates of the object, person or animal based on a location of one or more sites communicating with the wireless transceiver;
sending a wireless signal from the wireless transceiver to at least one wireless device on the object, person or animal; and
determining that the object, person or animal needs to be tracked based on a response of the at least one wireless device received at the wireless transceiver.